Many of the stars of silent westerns were young horse wranglers who left the open fields to make some extra money bulldogging steers and chasing Indians around arenas in traveling Wild West shows. They made their way to Hollywood when the popularity of the Wild West shows began to decline, found work acting in action-packed silent westerns, and became idols for early moviegoers everywhere.
Over 100 of those cowboys who starred in silent westerns between 1903 and 1930 are highlighted in this work. Among those included are Broncho Billy Anderson, Art Acord, Harry Carey, William Desmond, Hoot Gibson, William S. Hart, Jack Hoxie, William Farnum, Jack Holt, Buck Jones, J. Warren Kerrigan, Tim McCoy, Ken Maynard, Tom Mix, Fred Thompson, Fred Cody, Bob Custer, Jack Daugherty, William Duncan, Neal Hart, Leo Maloney, Pete Morrison, Jack Mower, Dustin Farnum, George Larkin, Jack Perrin, Buddy Roosevelt, William Russell, Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, and Wally Wales, to name just a few. Biographical information and a complete filmography are provided for each actor. Richly illustrated with over 300 picture stills.
